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In the video, Leadership Lessons Learned at Starbucks: It’s Not About the Coffee, Howard Behar explains that the people should be put at the forefront of everything we do within organizations. He argues that if you grow the people, then the organization can also grow with firm roots and longevity. The principle of putting people first is a value that not only helps leaders in their ethical judgment, but can also inspire the loyalty of employees. Illies and Reiter-Palmon (2008) explain that when leaders value actions that transcend personal self-interests they can create organizational environments where destructive activity isn’t fostered. However, those who are motivated by opportunistic internal motives are more likely to become destructive (Illies & Reiter-Palmon, 2008). When people are thought of before your own interests whether that is the customer, clients, or employees, then the growth of individuals will sustain the growth of the organization.
Behar also explains that you have to be able to lead yourself before you can lead others (Capella University, 2017). Knowing who you are and what you stand for is an integral value of leadership. When looking at what makes a leader worthy, Thompson, Grahek, Phillips and Fay (2008) found that the capacity, commitment, and character to lead were all key components. The capacity represents the practical limits of what’s possible, the commitment relates to the motivation of the leader, and the character focuses on the actions of the leader (Thompson, Grahek, Phillips & Fay, 2008). While each area plays an integral role, they found that character accompanied with integrity, courage, humility, gratitude, and forgiveness are significant areas to the field of consulting psychology. Each of these concepts requires a leader to really reflect inward to define what they believe. Taking the time to really invest in thinking about these values can help leaders better relate to and inspire others, while also helping reach organizational goals.
References
Capella University. (2017). Leadership lessons learned at Starbucks: It’s not about the coffee [Web document]. Retrieved from http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/psy8720/LeadershipLessonsStarbucks/wrapper.asp
Illies, J., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2008). Responding Destructively in Leadership Situations: The Role of Personal Values and Problem Construction. 82(1), 251-272. doi:10.1007/s10551-007-9574-2
Thompson, A. D., Grahek, M., Phillips, R. E., & Fay, C. L. (2008). The search for worthy leadership. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice And Research, 60(4), 366-382. doi:10.1037/1065-9293.60.4.366
